today, i can say our troops in iraq will definitely be home for the holidays. >> the war is over. president obama announces an end to one of the longest conflicts in american history. good afternoon, everybody. i'm jim handly. >> i'm pat lawson muse. troops will be home by the end of the year. president obama made the announcement today. the president said the two countries agree on the decision. the war in iraq started nine years ago. >> more than 4,000 americans died in battle. there are fewer than 40,000 troops in the country. steve handelsman has the latest from the white house. >> today, i can say our troops in iraq will definitely be home for the holidays. >> reporter: an emotional announcement, but expected from

president obama. president bush agreed to a u.s. pull out by 2012. since 2003, the pentagon says it war has cost 4459 u.s. lives. 32,000 wounded. 1146 u.s. amputees and $700 billion to $800 billion. in iraq, the last 39,000 u.s. forces are loading up, celebrating years. >> they have an operating government of sorts. >> reporter: civil war is possible. they think the pull out is premature. president obama would have left troops there, but the iraqis would not grant legal immunity. it is a popular move. >> it's fantastic.

the end is great. >> the toll it's taken on our economy, it's been a disaster for the economy. >> reporter: mr. obama said it helped get osama bin laden. now the president says we can better focus on jobs. >> after a decade of war, the nation we need to build is a nation we will build is our own. >> reporter: 1 million iraq war veterans coming home struggling to find work. in the upcoming campaign, president obama can point to a promise kept to end the iraq war. i'm steve handelsman, nbc news at the white house. >> somebody shot them by guns. >> there are still contradictory accounts of how moammar gadhafi died. the u.n. is raising concerns he was shot to death while in

custody. his burial has been delayed until those questions are answered. there's word gadhafi's body is being kept in a commercial freezer until burial. back here at home, turning to the weather, which has turned really cool today. >> it feels like fall, doesn't it? is it going to stick around for your weekend? veronica has the forecast. >> you don't like it on the cool side. you have probably gotten your long johns out already. keep them handy. look at the sky. certainly, it was nice and bright. we picked up the afternoon clouds like yesterday. we picked up a little afternoon wind. northwest at 12 miles per hour. we have slightly higher gusts through the area. here is a look at the satellite loop. we saw the clear skies, clouds moving in.

certainly, some clouds all the way to the east around patch river and annapolis, maryland. let's talk temperatures. boy is it cool. cleveland park, your temperature at 61 degrees. germantown, up north in montgomery county, 54 degrees. that is the cool spot right now. 57 in leesburg. currently, 63 degrees, one of the milder spots to the south and east. temperatures will be easing down to the upper 40s by 9:00 and 11:00 p.m. very chilly for overnight period. as you look at the fast forward, we look at the potential of frost where the freeze warnings are. we'll talk about the weekend, too. just how high it's going to be and the rain lurking. all that coming up in a couple minutes. back to you. police in maryland are warning parents and students

after a young girl was sexually assaulted near an elementary school. it happened just before 5:00 yesterday evening. it's near overlook elementary. police tell us a 10-year-old girl was approached by a boy who looked to be 14 or 15. he grabbed her, forced her into a wooded area. several people heard her screams and scared him away. police have not made any arrests, yet. we know the identity of a man shot to death in alexandria. he is 40-year-old bob mckneeley. he's the father of an 11-year-old boy. he was killed in his old neighborhood. news 4, megan mcgrath has more. metro riders walk along on their way to the station this morning. word that a deadly shooting happened on the street last night is a bit disturbing.

>> you never know what happened. you are never safe anywhere. >> i have never had a problem and never thought twice about coming down the street. surprised to hear that. >> reporter: they haven't had a murder all year but last night's shooting changed that statistic. around 10:10 police got a call. when officers arrived on the scene, they found a 40-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds. investigators are talking with a number of witnesses. no arrests have been made, police believe there was a connection between the victim and the gunman. therefore, no larger threat to the community. >> at this point, it's an early investigation. it doesn't appear to be a random act. there's not immediate concern. >> reporter: there were a number of people in the area at the time of the shooting. investigators talked to a number of witnesses.

anyone with more information is expected to call the police. megan mcgrath, news 4. pat collins talked to friends of the victim and the mother of mcneley's son. we'll have a live update at 5:00. ten years since an act of terror that left americans afraid to open their mail today. ceremonies honoring postal employees. contaminated mail went through the brentwood mail processing plant back in september of 2001. among the victims, thomas morris. he called 911 from home and told the operator he was having trouble breathing and thought he inhaled anthrax. >> i expected i might have been exposed to anthrax.

>> he died later that day. family, friends and colleagues attended services for him today. we'll have more on news 4 at 5:00. in decision 2012, republican presidential hopeful herman cain presented a revised version of the 9-9-9 program. it will exclude people living at or below the poverty line. we have more on cain and the other gop candidate from washington. >> reporter: in detroit, herman cain fired back at fellow republican contenders bashing his 9-9-9 plan as a tax increase for four out of five americans. >> they don't think and they don't have a credible plan. >> reporter: he tweaked the plan to create opportunity to revitalize struggling communities and zero income taxes for the poor.

>> if you are at or below the poverty level, your plan isn't 9-9-9, it's 9-0-9. 9-9-9 means jobs, jobs, jobs. >> reporter: in oklahoma, mitt romney took a shot at president obama that sounded like it was aimed at cain. >> there are some people here in oklahoma that said what would happen if you chose at the president someone without experience, now we know. >> reporter: he's pitching minimumism. >> get the government out of the way. >> reporter: rick perry is getting ready to unveil his plan. >> tax rates, lower, flatter, fairer for everyone. >> reporter: now, the focus is on cain eesz 9-9-9 plan. brian moore, nbc news,

washington. the latest polls still show cane holding a razor thin lead over mitt romney. rose kroft raceway will hold live races. they stopped racing in 2008. the racetrack went into bankruptcy and closed in 2010. in january, a pennsylvania based gaming xeap purchased the facility for $10 million. a manager at rose croft hopes it purpose means a second chance for hundreds of employees when they shut down. >> there's a lot of people that worked here depending on this for livelihood and i think right now this is just a new life for the racetrack. >> reporter: adding slot machines will be the next battle. live races held until december

17th and will pick back up again next fall. >> when news 4 at 4:00 continues, we are learning more about the man who turns dozens of wild animals loose in ohio. the supermodel who did a photo shoot with the exotic pets. lindsay lohan getting her hands duty. the community service she has to perform at the county morgue.

our area. on time and ready to serve. lindsay lohan arrived at the l.a. county coroners office on time and ready to go. she spent eight hours as part of her service for the court. she was ordered to work 16 more hours. the coroners office says she will be expected to mop floors, clean the bathrooms and wash dirty sheets. yesterday, she turned up late

and was turned away. she's due back in court in two weeks. ♪ country music star leann rimes did a special benefit for a cause beyond the music. she teamed up with wmzq to raise money and awareness. we caught up with rimes to talk about the kids, album and life. >> leann rimes. ♪ >> i love these kind of intimate venues, 300 people and it's really fun to be able to go out. this is where my heart lies.

talk and hang out. my guitar player greg, we're going to have a great time. actually right across the freeway. >> a video with kids from chicago for my new single "give." >> i'm the last person in my family. >> actually have to find a place to lay my head. >> it gives them a chance in the future, no matter where they have come from and what they have gone through. i believe we deserve second chances. ♪ >> she is currently touring for her new album "ladies and gentlemen," in stores now. >> she sounds good. have you ever wondered what is on first lady's ipod? here's a hint. ♪ >> yeah, that's no hint. you guessed it.

pop star beyonce. she was answering questions for her let's move campaign. she loves the singers music, especially fast paced songs to get her going for her work out. she has wide range of music on her ipod including tune that is are more mellow. a lot of folks are falling on hard times these days and their homes falling apart. there are people like george, in the show "gorge to the rescue" a family calls george her savior. we have the story. >> reporter: a production that can take on a life all its own. the time it takes -- the season finale of "gorge to the rescue."

>> where all of our hard work pays off. all right. reveal day. this is the steady cam for the reveal, when the family comes in. swivel it around. then you are free. it's all carefully choreographed. you have to think on your feet. there's no script, you know. things sort of happen on the fly. >> cant wait to show it. >> stop there for a second. just a second. okay. hold a second. cut. >> reporter: after a three week rehab, today is the day. george has delivered again and another deserving homeowner is coming back to fresh digs. >> wow! >> there's a show within a show happening here as well. producers and hosts choreograph

a show. >> i tell you what, reveal day is my favorite day. >> i'm a designer for george to the rescue. >> where we are standing now, there used to be a small, ratty deck. >> reporter: laura thought she was getting her kitchen ceiling fixed. little did she know what george and the crew had in store. the real focus here is the lighting situation. >> you want more outdoor? >> reporter: from there, it's back on cue. the rehearsed scene you saw earlier. three cameras, two subjects, one goal. >> this is lovely. >> reporter: make it seamless. >> it looks fantastic. >> terrific. >> reporter: nbc 4 washington, zachary king. >> you can catch "george to the rescue" sunday morning at 5:30.

it's a great show. i didn't realize how much work goes on behind the scenes. >> they do great work. coming up next, is it the end of the world as we know it? who says the world is supposed to end today. >> and veronica says we can expect showers this weekend. she says don't worry about the umbrella. she'll

state farm. this is jessica. hey, jessica, jerry neumann with a policy question. jerry, how are you doing?

fine, i just got a little fender bender. oh, jerry, i'm so sorry. i would love to help but remember, you dropped us last month. yeah, you know it's funny. it only took 15 minutes to sign up for that new auto insurance company but it's taken a lot longer to hear back. is your car up a pole again? [ crying ] i miss you, jessica! jerry, are you crying? no, i just, i bit my tongue. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. state farm.

are on twitter, too. not quite as windy today as yesterday. >> no, but let's talk about what's been happening during the break. i'm getting grief. when i mentioned showers for tomorrow morning -- >> i don't want to hear it. i'm walking out. >> he walked out on me. >> he's worried about his backhand. >> exactly. >> these are the shower that is aren't going to get you wet. >> there you go. >> meteor showers. >> okay. there you go. >> you are so reeling me in. >> meteor showers tomorrow

morning. i want to show you the graphic to give you the specifics. we'll have a modest number of them, 12 to 20 an hour. that's good. these are early saturday morning. the best time for viewing, 3:00 a.m. to sunrise, which is 7:24. we are expecting to see quite a few of them, despite the fact the moon will be illuminating. the best way to view the sky is with the moon at your back. >> cool. >> you feel better now? >> i take back everything i said about you, veronica, everything. >> you pelted me during the break. >> no rain on the weekend, please. >> exactly.y@"!going to head ovo weather of t boy, otherkww! 8ir# ). thatíúe in

the fact the mold spore count was low. i haven't seen it that low in a long time. the temperatures heading down o to -- droppingen good % $eratures tem degrees..at 42 p"ñ withñ1ress

sunday.n< pretty0of day on j beca going coolne and th chillyó#]ísure temperatu an ano by tomorrow morning, you need a jacket, again. a chilly start for us under a clear sky. 36 to 44. for tomorrow afternoon, oh, it's

going to be a pretty day but dress warm, 58 to 62 degrees for a high temperature. here is a look at the four day forecast. 64 is the high expected on sunday. another very, very nice weekend. the first weekend in awhile that's been sunny and this cool at the same time. we are at 72 on tuesday. no rain posted. you have to hang on to the extended forecast when we bring rain back into the picture. >> wear your helmets for the meteor showers. >> yes. >> thanks, veronica. still to come, the story of a virginia woman accused of faking her own kidnapping. >> we are learning more about steve jobs, the harsh words he steve jobs, the harsh words he had

keurig has a wide variety of gourmet coffee and tea to choose from. keurig is the way to brew fresh, delicious coffee in under a minute. way to brew. so with keurig, every cup tastes like it's brewed just for you. because it is. [ female announcer ] who'd have thought that how hard you'd try -- and how far you'd go -- was shaped before you could even write your name? the first five years are forever. that's why pnc is devoting $250 million and ten more years to helping teachers give kids the skills they need for a lifetime of achievement.

pnc. grow up great. up their case against michael jackson's doctor. welcome back to news 4 at 4:00. i'm pat lawson muse. >> i'm jim handly. here's what's happening in the news at 4:30. president obama says the war in iraq is officially coming to an end. he announced all troops will come home by the end of this year. 40,000 american troops are currently in iraq. police in alexandria are

looking for a suspect in a murder this year. bob mcneley was shot overnight in the 1200 block of whisk street. he was the father of an 11-year-old son. there were two memorial services today to remember the postal worker who is died ten years ago in the anthrax attacks. they died after contaminated mail arrived in northeast d.c., september, 2001. one week after the 9/11 attacks. the horses will be running at the raceway in prince george's county. the racetrack closed after going bankrupt in 2010. a pennsylvania based gaming company bought the track. the trial of michael jackson's doctor, conrad murray resumed minutes ago in los angeles.

>> court started late today because of a scheduling issue. today, the lawyers are expected to cross examine a witness. dr. murray made more than a dozen agreenlgous errors. the defense will try to disprove that theory. what you likely never knew about steve jobs is coming to light in a new book. >> the genius who brought us the ipad, iphone, itunes and so much more. this monday, a new 630 page biography is set to come out with more on the private side of jobs life and his final days. mark barger has a preview. >> reporter: it may not sell as fast as the apple products, but steve jobs biography will be big. >> one of the two or three biggest books of the year, if not the biggest book of the

year. >> offered walter isakson the book. among the revelations jobs regrets putting off pancreatic surgery for nine months. a decision he recounts to air on sunday on cbs. >> he tries to treat it with diet. he goes to spiritual and various ways of doing it macrobiottically. he doesn't get operation. >> why didn't he operate right away? >> i didn't want my body to be opened and violated that way. >> he talked about being void as a child and giving up christianity as a team. his competitive fires were unmistakable. he called bill gates unimaginative saying he ripped off other people's ideas. he vowed to destroy android.

>> i do think we are going to get a more complete and whole picture of him than we have seen before. one that may still not completely explain the complex person that was steve jobs. mark barger, nbc news. >> the book was originally scheduled for release next spring. it's moved to this monday following jobs death on october 5th. he told the book's author he wanted to cooperate with the book so his children would have a better understanding of the things he did. >> we'll soon be able to hear from congresswoman gabrielle gif fords. giffords is taking part in an audio version of a memoir. it chronicles the lives of her and her husband. this book will discuss their

careers in politics and nasa as well as their experiences of the shooting in tucson. "gabby, a story of courage and hope." it comes out november 15th. now, a news 4 exclusive. a fairfax country dry cleaners closed shop. customers have been stopping by the action cleaners in falls church for days now trying to pick up their clothes. customers say there was a note on the front door with a phone number on it. the voice mail is full. news 4 learned the fairfax county of consumer affairs is investigating three complaints from customers who can't get their clothes back. >> i was so shocked to come here and find it completely empty. i bring my dry cleaning here for my husband every two weeks. there's two weeks worth of suits and shirts that we have. >> it's doubtful the cleaners will reopen at that location.

the shopping center is slated for demolition in january. consumers can file complaints online. there's a link on our website at www.nbcwashington.com. search cleaners or you can call 703-222-8435. >> if you haven't heard, the world is supposed to end today. that's according to evangelical broadcaster harold camping. the 94-year-old civil engineer revised his doomsday prediction. he originally said may 21 was going to be the end of the world. after that, he said he miscalculated by exactly five months. he's vanished from the public eye. he suffered from a stroke. since then, the daily radio program, open forum, has been canceled. >> there's more to come. when we come back, a woman's

punishment for pretending she had been kidnapped with put ho

in the refrigerator? is it safe to put a pot of hot soup in the fridge? why do some pizza places charge a delivery fee? does the first lady get a paycheck? liz crenshaw joins us with the answers to the questions. >> it's getting chilly out and

you are thinking of soup. you do long johns all yearlong. we won't talk about that. >> only in the studio where it's 40 degrees. the first question is about fall cooking. can you put a large, hot pot of soup directly in the fridge or wait for it to cool? >> good question. the usda recommends chilling your soup before putting it in the fridge. put it in an ice bath. put the pot of hot soup in the ice bath. in a matter of minutes, the soup will cool and you can put it in the fridge. the heat of the soup is not going to raise the refrigerators temperature. it's an important safety thing. you can divide it into smaller shallow portions. the ice bath, i have done it and it works very fast. >> save your soup and -- >> save the pot.

>> our next question is from donna in gaithersburg. why do some pizza places charge a delivery fee and where does the money go? >> we checked with two major chains and they say delivery charges do not go to the driver. they are to help offset getting the pizza directly to the customer. they include employee's wages, car maintenance and insurance costs. pizza hut's delivery charges range from $2 to $3. dominos varies across the country. both encourage customers to tip on top of this amount if they receive good service. that delivery charge does not go to the driver. >> the final question is from bill. he wants to know if the first lady gets paid? do we pay her?

>> the first lady does not receive a salary. she is not an official government position. they developed their own role because they have no current set of duties. michelle obama has the let's move campaign that tackled the challenge of childhood obesity. if you have a question, send it to ask liz. you can connect with me on twitter and facebook. coming up on ask liz, where are all the stink bugs this year? what should you do if you receive a counterfeit bill from the bank and why is nutritional information on popped and unpopped popcorn. where are all the stink bugs this year? >> i have a few in my basement. >> do you have as many this year as last year? >> no. >> we have an answer why. new revelations of the ohio man who set dozens of wild

animals free, then killed himself. the serious financial problems

at the weekend forecast. stick around. a nice way to start the weekend. >> oh, it is. let's see if it can hold. how about it? >> it's going to hold. it will be chilly.

the bundle up kind of weather where you break out the fleece and have hot apple cider on stand by. it's what i like about fall. the chilly we are talking about, we are in the 60s, we are at 61 degrees. we'll be in the low 60s all through the weekend. a mixture of clouds and sunshine. the winds at 12 miles per hour. 61 inside the beltway. mid-50s to the north. gaithersburg, leesburg, steeling. manassas and warrenton chilly at 57. fairfax, running around 56 and 57 degrees. during the overnight period, we have a mostly clear sky. we clear out more as we push through the morning hours. we drop to 49 by 11:00 p.m. sun is up at 7:24 where we're going to start out around 43 degrees. boy, that is chilly. there's a lot of events going on

this weekend. check this one out. it's the best buddies challenge. we'll have a mostly sunny sky. chilly. make sure you bundle up for that. the temperature will be at 49 degrees. again, despite the sunshine. indeed, fall has arrived. we get up to 61 degrees with sunshine throughout the entire area. i think upper 50s, to the north and west around cumberland and hagerstown. a look at the four-day forecast. big marching bd competition. a lot of bands coming in from all over the east coast. 64, the high on sunday. look at monday and tuesday. we push to the upper 60 toz low 70s with an extended forecast of 73 on wednesday. rain moves in late wednesday night. don't forget, we have prize weather for the weekend. we are giving out prizes at nbc 4. you can win a free ipad like our

nbc washington page on facebook and sign up to win the great prizes. we'll pick a winner at 7:00 and make the announcement during the 11:00 p.m. broadcast. yesterday's winner of the jay zee and kanye west tickets is monica. congratulations to monica. she has herself tickets, now she had to figure out who to go with. >> i'm available. thanks veronica. >> thanks. coming up -- barbie like you have never seen her before. why parents are upset about this tattooed pink haired barbie. how a supper model is linked to a man before taking his own life. we'll be right back. coming up on news 4 at 5:00, the president says troops will be home for the holidays. richard engel joins us for the

holidays. what it means for troops stationed there. why skin may have a lot to do with what you eat. a

brings them both to tears on game day. a manassas woman will spend to years in prison for staging a kidnapping to extort money for a

family. the 34-year-old was sentenced in federal court. two years ago, she moved to guatemala to care for a baby that was fathered by her husband. she and the girl had been kidnapped for $30,000 for ransom she was asking for. he pleaded guilty in march. lawyers say she was led by a dire to get custody of the child. the newest barbie is raising eyebrows. some are turning up their noses to her pink hair, rocker fashion and permanent tattoo designs. it could be a bad influence on kids. this designer barbie is part of a special collection. i's sold out. a new shipment will be sent out in november. it's going for $50. anytime there's controversy,

demand goes up. >> barbie has had so many looks. she's got 1,000 different outfits, hairdos, no tattoos until now. >> this is the first. still ahead on news 4, how a supermodel is part of a saga of an ohio man who turned dozens of exotic animals on the loose. on.

and jim handly. we're learning more today about the 50 animals killed by ohio police after being set free by their owner. terry thompson used one of the animals, a baby lion in a video shoot with heidi klum. >> six animals are being cared for at a local zoo. >> stephanie gosk has more on the story. >> reporter: the autopsy report shows he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound with bite marks on his head. >> doctors said it would be consistent with a bite from a larger sized cat or tiger. it probably occurred within seconds after the gunshot wound. >> in less than 12 hours, 50

animals killed. his private zoo, all but wiped out. these are the only survivors. three cheetahs, a monkey and bear brought to the zoo for expert care. this man is shocked by the number of lions and tigers he kept at his farm. >> it's hard to imagine an individual would have the resources to take care of 35 large cats. we wouldn't manage them here at the zoo. >> reporter: this zoo has seven. each one costs $17,000 a year. that e vets from his zoo visited and said conditions were em plorable. >> they need to have the financial resources and subject to inspections. >> reporter: he faced few

inspections in ohio. since 2003, the humane society documented 22 incidences in ohio from pet escapes to attacks on people. >> ohio has an enormous number of incidents to forbid keeping dangerous wild animals as pets. a total ban may not be the answer. >> a lot of individuals have done great things. >> reporter: tougher regulations are a possible solution. it may have presented a tragedy this week. >> that was stephanie gosk reporting. the production company that hired thompson said they heard the animals appeared in other productions and he was reputable. >> that's news 4 at 4:00. >> stay there, news 4 at 5:00 starts right now. tonight at 5:00, the end of

a war in iraq. >> today, i can report that as promised, the rest of our troops in iraq will come home by the end of the year. after nearly nine years, america's war in iraq will be over. also tonight, ten years later an emotional reunion. the pumpkin shortage in the area. why you may have a tough time finding that perfect pumpkin. we begin with a verdict just in. i'm jim handly. >> i'm pat lawson muse. wendy rieger is off tonight. news coming out of rockville. a jury reached a not guilty verdict for a teacher. she was charged with grabbing, scratching and choking the students at green castle elementary earlier this year. >> she took the stand saying she might have taken a student b